A 22-year-old Frenchman who was charged with stealing his friends’ laptops while on holiday in Malta has been acquitted after a court believed his version that this was a case of revenge by his former lover.

Maxime Tarraso was arrested at the airport on Sunday with two laptops that belonged to his friends, Fatoumata Tidiana Kiota and Caroline Le Roux. 

Before Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, Ms Le Roux said the laptops went missing while she and her friend were at the beach on Sunday. She said she was sharing a bedroom with her friend while Mr Tarraso was staying in another bedroom with another friend. 

When she checked Mr Tarraso’s bedroom she found that he had already left with his belongings. They went straight to the airport and spoke to the airport police, who told them to go to the Sliema station. There they were told that Mr Tarraso had been arrested at the airport with two laptops.

Ms Le Roux told the court that she had been dating Mr Tarraso but he had wanted to break off the relationship. She denied having given him the laptop and that she filed the report as revenge.

Ms Kiota corroborated much of the testimony given by Ms Le Roux, saying that Mr Tarraso was a long-time friend who had let her down.

Mr Tarraso claimed that the women had asked him to take their laptops, which he would hand back to them once all three were back in France. 

In delivering judgement, the court said it did not make sense that the accused took the laptops without his friends’ consent. It also did not make sense for him to take his ex-girlfriend’s laptop.

The Magistrate said the version given by the accused, that Ms Le Roux filed a report as revenge for his decision to break off the relationship, was more credible. She therefore acquitted Mr Tarraso.

Police Inspector Neville Mercieca prosecuted while lawyer Leontine Calleja was defence counsel.